Producers : Nandamuri Balakrishna, Sai Korrapati, Vishnu Induri
Director : Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi
Music Director : M.M Keeravaani
Cinematographer : Gnana Shekar V.S
Starring : Nandamuri Balakrishna, Vidya Balan,Kalyan Ram, Sumanth, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj And Others
The wait is finally over. The much-anticipated biopic in 2019 'NTR Kathanayakudu' finally released today on January 9th, 2019. It is known that Nandamuri Balakrishna essayed the role of his father, legendary actor turned politician Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao in the movie. Vidya Balan played the role of NTR's wife Basavatarakam. He teamed up with his 'Gautami Putra Satakarni' director Krish for this prestigious project. Balakrishna in association with Vishnu Induri and Sai Korrapati bankrolled this project. The expectations have been sky high on this magnum opus. Here is the review of the movie.
Story: Only a few of the people knows each and everything about the life history of NTR. Director Krish made sure to showcase the unknown things about NTR in the film. Especially NTR's affection and care towards Basavatarakam is portrayed in a beautiful way. The movie starts with Basavatarakam and continuous in her point of view. The movie starts with Basavatarakam (Vidya Balan) in hospital suffering from cancer. Harikrishna (Kalyan Ram) is extremely worried about her health. Then, the film shifts to a flashback where NTR's journey from an aspiring actor to becoming India's first superstar was traced.
Performances: Balakrishna as NTR delivered a stupendous performance. One can easily believe that he is NTR. Not only the way he looked but also his body language, his dialogue delivery, and even his expressions are similar to NTR. He delivered his career-best performance as his father. Balakrishna's outstanding performance added more beauty for the film. Vidya Balan as Basavatarakam did her best. Her expressions and her chemistry with Balayya are very beautiful. Vidya Balan is undoubtedly the best pick for Basavatarakam role. Sumanth as ANR also did an impressive job. Rana appears only before the climax but did a decent job. The other characters like Prakash Raj, Rakul etc also did a good job.
Technical Aspects: Director Krish has handled the script in a beautiful. He has not only scripted a beautiful story but also succeeded in executing it really well. Instead of adding unnecessary scenes, Krish only focussed on the things that are necessary to be shown. Music by MM Keeravani is really catchy and pleasant. His BGM is also gripping and added a lot of emotion to the scenes. Dialogues by Sai Madhav Burra are too good. Editing by Arram Ramakrishna is pretty decent. The costumes and makeup department will get extra brownie points in putting makeup for the actors. Cinematographer Gnana Sekhar VS' camera work is awesome.
Verdict: Making biopics is not at all an easy task. Moreover, a biopic on the life history of a legendary actor and beloved leader like Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao is definitely a tough one. But both the actors and the technical department did their best in portraying NTR's beautiful journey in an elegant way. The first half is somewhat dull and Balakrishna looked odd as 20-year-old NTR. However, the second half is undoubtedly an eye feast. Balakrishna looks exactly like his father. The second half is undoubtedly one of the plus points for the film. Overall, 'NTR Kathanayakudu' is definitely a memorable movie for the not only for the Nandamuri family but also for the fans.
A Grand Tribute To The Legendary Icon Of Telugu Cinema
Filmybuzz.com Rating: 4/5
